Slanted double trunk One Seed Juniper

[Hartinez]

Styled this tree just the other day. It’s on the small side but has great interplay between the live lines and deadwood.

Collected in late summer 23’. Grew very well all of last year. I shortened the trunks to younger growth on both trunks last spring and let the tree grow. I had excellent extensions to pick from at the recent styling.

At re pot this year, it took on this angle for a few reasons. The current split in the trunks felt like a slingshot when left upright which was awkward and the roots lent themselves very well to a lean in this direction for the health of the plant.

Contemplating a better pot situation possibly next spring, though I may wait till the foliage fills out more.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I stared at your tree for a few minutes thinking about the lines, so I did a quick virt. I think you may not want to lean it over quite so far when you repot - particularly as your apex puts on some growth. I feel that when you lean it over as far as you have, there are a lot of square angles and lines that run parallel to the ground - particularly that upper jin.

Something to think about...

 

[Hartinez]

I stared at your tree for a few minutes thinking about the lines, so I did a quick virt. I think you may not want to lean it over quite so far when you repot - particularly as your apex puts on some growth. I feel that when you lean it over as far as you have, there are a lot of square angles and lines that run parallel to the ground - particularly that upper jin.

Something to think about...

View attachment 609640

This is a perfectly reasonable assessment! One I will def consider come time to re pot. I may want to compress that left trunk a bit more if I go this route, so the apex of each is clearly lower or higher than the other.

Thanks Greg!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

This is a perfectly reasonable assessment! One I will def consider come time to re pot. I may want to compress that left trunk a bit more if I go this route, so the apex of each is clearly lower or higher than the other.

I was actually playing around with ways to increase the mass of the right foliage (with the primary apex) and move it slightly left to it isn't centered over the left trunk... I actually think you would want to continue to develop the right side while keeping the left side constrained so that eventually the right side has 50%-100% more foliage than the left. You don't want the two foliage masses to be the same size.

 

[Hartinez]

I was actually playing around with ways to increase the mass of the right foliage (with the primary apex) and move it slightly left to it isn't centered over the left trunk... I actually think you would want to continue to develop the right side while keeping the left side constrained so that eventually the right side has 50%-100% more foliage than the left. You don't want the two foliage masses to be the same size.

View attachment 609674

Yup I like that. I ended up removing a bit more from that right trunks foliage, but gaining height through growth is a great idea.

 

[Hartinez]

Winter is vessel prep and purchase time for me. Ive got my eyes on a few pots I need to purchase and was looking out for a round pot for this tree.

But I decided Id like to go with something a little more wild and natural. I pieced together 3 chunks of lava rock found in New Mexico and used my grinder to create a deep bowl to plant the tree in.

I created this virtual to give an idea of what im going for.

I may also place the rock in a very shallow pot, on a flat piece of stone, or corian. Not sure yet.


Here is the rock before carving


After grinding


And the game plan for next spring